


actions speak louder than words

by lavenderkasp



Category: IT (2017), IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Aged-Up Losers Club (IT), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), Beverly Marsh & Richie Tozier Are Best Friends, Bisexual Richie Tozier, Blink and you'll miss it, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier-centric, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, I think that’s it, Losers Club (IT) Friendship, Love Letters, Mike Hanlon is a Good Friend, Minor Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, No Smut, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Soft Richie Tozier, bev throws a party, eddie and mike are roommates, just some kissing, mike has a girlfriend, the other losers are kinda background but we love a good friend group, valentines day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:46:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22766476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavenderkasp/pseuds/lavenderkasp
Summary: The week leading up to Valentine's Day, Eddie starts getting anonymous love letters slipped under his dorm door.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 20
Kudos: 144





	actions speak louder than words

**Author's Note:**

> hello!! i really wanted to get this up on valentines day but life happens so here we are three days later!! 
> 
> also no beta cuz we post like enbies!! (that being said if u think i'm missing any tags or notice anythings off pls lmk!!)

MONDAY

Just like any other Monday, Eddie woke up with a groan and silenced his alarm in one quick motion, already dreading his first class. After spending every day last semester up before the sun for track practice, he was hoping for a chance to finally sleep in but clearly, his 8:00am Chemistry for Health Professionals class had other ideas. Eddie reached for the clothes he laid out on top of his desk chair the night before, careful not to wake up his roommate and high school friend, Mike, and headed for the bathroom to change. Looking in the mirror, Eddie realized just how badly he needed a haircut. From there, his eyes continued to wander, making a mental note to go back to the gym soon when he noticed the loss of definition in his legs. His second alarm went off, interrupting his thoughts and signaling that he only had twenty minutes to get to class. Eddie quickly completed his morning routine, quitely scolding himself for not having enough time to brush his teeth twice, and threw on a pair of black jeans and a light blue hoodie he had thrifted the other weekend that was two sizes too big for him before heading out the door.

As expected, Eddie found himself struggling to stay awake in class. It’s not that he didn’t enjoy the class, honestly, there was nothing he loved more than learning about stoichiometry, stereochemistry and periodicity of the elements but he hadn’t had breakfast this morning and he felt as though he was running on empty. Discreetly, so as not to get yelled at by his professor, he pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to his friends.

 **eddie**  
anyone down to get breakfast with me?

 **eddie**  
is anyone even awake

 **eddie**  
i need new friends

 **bev**  
i’m up! i’ll come with you

 **richie**  
Ii bev is going, i’ll be there

 **eddie**  
am i not enough for u

 **richie**  
i said what i said

 **richie**  
focus on ur class bev and i will meet u outside after

That was one of the nice things about having such a big, close friend group; no matter the occasion or the time, there was always someone to make sure you were never alone. Somehow, this thought made it easier for Eddie to get through the rest of the class and as he walked out, true to their word, he was greeted by Richie and Bev standing outside.

“Put your hands out.” Richie spoke, a child like smile on his face.

“What’d you break this time?” Eddie asked.

“Your mom’s heart when I told her I couldn’t fuck her anymore!” Richie replied, one of his hands held up high, awaiting a high five.

“Richie what the fuck it’s too early for this.”

Ushering Richie’s hand down, an apologetic look on her face, Bev handed Eddie the bag Richie had been holding. “We wanted to bring you breakfast, we know how you get when you’re off schedule.”

Eddie appreciatively murmured some ‘thank you’s’, leading the three of them to a bench underneath some trees, fresh snow dusting the grass. Bev and Eddie sat down next to each other as they watched Richie wander off into the snow, aimlessly making snowballs in his hands just to drop them on the floor a few moments later. Eddie never understood why Richie did the things he did, but he did appreciate the fact that almost all of them put a smile on his face, even if he hid that smile from Richie most of the time. Even Bev had to fight back a laugh when Richie reached up and pulled on a low hanging branch, genuinely surprised that snow was falling on him as a result.

“How much do I owe you for breakfast?” Eddie questioned.

“Oh, Richie bought it, but if you wanna tip me for delivery I’ll take it.” Bev replied as Richie started to make his way back to the table, his black jacket shoulders still dusted white.

“How much for breakfast?” Eddie questioned again.

“Don’t worry about it, Eddie-o Spaghettio. Consider it a Monday treat.” Richie returned, a smile on his face as he pulled his own breakfast out of his bag. Eddie decided his Monday treat was not correcting Richie for that hideous nickname as the three of them eating in a comfortable silence.

“Thank you guys again for breakfast but I gotta get going, my professor assigned a paper this morning and if I plan on leaving my dorm at all this week, I need to start like yesterday.” Eddie spoke as he threw away the tables garbage. As he stood, Richie took a minute to appreciate the boy in front of him. The way Eddie’s hair was growing out made him look younger, softer and Richie couldn’t help but stare. These thoughts weren’t unnatural for Richie; he was a simple man, he saw someone attractive and his inner monologue felt the need to comment on it. Unfortunately for him, all of his friends were attractive, resulting in his inner monologue never shutting the fuck up. Bev had her fiery hair, a gorgeous contrast with her blue eyes and freckles. Mike had his shoulders, toned from all the years of going to the gym. Yeah, Richie thought shoulders were attractive, sue him. Bill had his eyes, a soft brown that seemed to convey a look of understanding, no matter the topic. Stan had his hair, somehow always the perfect length, each strand individually curled. Ben had his arms, muscular as ever both from all the poems he wrote and the time he spent at the gym. But Eddie was definitely the prettiest out of all of them and everyone knew it, except for Eddie. No matter the length, his hair always looked well maintained and despite not working out for the past year, he was still the most tone out of all of them. Standing there in the oversized hoodie, Richie couldn’t help but wonder how Eddie would look in one of his own hoodies.

Bev gently nudged Richie’s shoulder, knocking him back into the conversation. “Good luck on your paper, we’ll see you around!” Richie spoke as he and Bev gathered the rest of their belongings, his eyes lingering a bit too long as he watched Eddie walk back to his dorm.

* * *

Walking into his dorm, Eddie was expecting Mike to be at the gym but what he was not expecting was an envelope on the floor with his name on it. On instinct, he reached down to grab it, his hand stopping only millimeters away once the voice in his head started making him question whether the envelope was poisoned or not. Get it together, Eddie. It’s just a fucking envelope. Not everything is gonna kill you. Taking in a deep breath and pushing the voice aside, he grabs the envelope and rips it open because fuck it, he’s too damn curious to see what’s inside.

Written in small writing on an index card, it reads

_If you were my rose, then I’d be your sun, painting you rainbows when the rains come._

Eddie takes another sharp breath, his head flooding with thoughts. Eddie knows that this was sent to the wrong Eddie because he knows that there are 256,590 people in the United States with the first name Eddie. He knows that statistically, it’s the 278th most popular first name. He knows that at this school alone there’s at least a thousand other Eddie’s. He knows that if anyone he knew were to get a letter like this, it would be Bev, not him.

He brings the letter to his desk with him, tucking it into one of the drawers and pulling out his laptop, desperate for anything to distract him. As he starts his paper on materials in relation to thermoelectricity, he finds his mind wandering. Did he just get a fucking love letter? Slid under his door nonetheless? His phone buzzing on his desk brings him out of his spiral.

 **richie**  
hope ur papers going well mr scholar

 **eddie**  
i got a bit distracted but im about to start for real

 **richie**  
eddie? distracted? why i never

 **eddie**  
funny

 **eddie**  
thanks for checking in ill text u later

And with that, Eddie blindly puts his phone into his desk drawer with the note, hoping that “out of sight, out of mind” proves to be true right about now.

* * *

TUESDAY

Eddie loves Tuesday. Well, he loves this Tuesday. His earliest class got cancelled, allowing a few extra hours of sleep and time to make breakfast before class. Walking out of his room, he can’t help but wonder if any of the people he’s passing are the ones responsible for leaving the note. The girl with the low ponytail on his right wouldn’t be that dumb, almost everyone knows he’s gay. He makes an effort to smile at her anyway. The tall boy with a grey sweater surprises him when he smiles first, and a small part of Eddie finds himself wishing it’s Mystery Boy Number One who is responsible for the note. Seriously? What’s wrong with me? I don’t even think I know the kid’s name. Despite every rational part of him telling him to push this aside, there’s a small part of Eddie who finds himself thinking what kind of excuse he would need to tell campus safety to validate the need to look at the security cameras in front of his room.

Class drones on as Eddie’s professor lectures and finally, class is dismissed. Walking back to the room, Eddie is embarrassed to admit that there’s a small, scratch that, big, part of him that is anticipating another note waiting for him. He puts his key into the lock and opens his door, a smile already on his face but as he opens the doors, he’s met with nothing but a crystal clean floor and Mike getting reading to go to the gym, the smile on his face faltering immediately.

“Damn, Eddie. Really that unhappy to see me?” Mike laughs, pulling his shirt over his head. No response. “Earth to Eddie? Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Sorry. I just took a bad test today, I wasn’t prepared for it.”

Mike’s face sours at the comment, his eyebrows furrowing. “You’re an awful liar. If you had had a test I would’ve known.” He gestures to Eddie’s color coded calendar hanging on the wall. “You always use the calendar, it’s the only way I know where you are most times.”

“I guess I forgot to write it down.” Eddie replies, a comment both he and Mike know would never stand true.

“Well while you were gone, Bill invited us out for Taco Tuesday.” Mike says in an attempt to change the subject.

“Taco Bus?” Eddie replies, a smile on his face already. Damn, Mike was good at this.

“Taco Bus.” Mike reaffirms. “I’m gonna head to the gym, but I better see you later tonight.”

* * *

The employees at Taco Bus know the Losers by name at this point. Almost every Tuesday, they all make an effort to go to the local restaurant for the two dollar tacos. Unsurprisingly, Richie is the last one to get there and Eddie turns to make some snarky comment about punctuality but finds his breath getting caught in his throat before any words make their way out. Richie had taken a shower before making his way to the restaurant, his soft curls still visibly damp, the smell of his vanilla body wash still lingering. He’s wearing black jeans that fit him incredibly well, hugging him in all the right places and a loose red sweater that shows a bit of his stomach whenever he raises his arms, which he promptly did to hug all of his friends.

“Big Bill! I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever!” Richie speaks, pulling Bill in for a hug first, attempting to tussle his hair.

“Seriously Rich?” Bill says, running his fingers through his hair, attempting to undo Richies mess. “I saw you yesterday.”

“And yesterday is far too long to go without my Billiam!” Bill simply rolls his eyes in response and begins placing his order while Eddie and Stan grab a table.

Eventually, everyone was gathered around the table, talking about their day as they waited for their numbers to be called out. There was nothing Eddie loved more than spending time with his friends, they had been with him through everything and always had a way of making him feel like he could do anything. Feeling extra appreciative for them today, he decided a round of horchata on him was a good idea, a necessary idea even.

As they sipped their drinks, all of their numbers were called one after another, resulting in Stan and Ben getting up to grab everyone's dinner.

“I think they messed up our order, there’s a burrito here.” Ben spoke, getting ready to turn around and bring it back.

“No! That’s mine. Bring it here, Benny Boy.” Richie replied, arms outstretched to grab his plate.

“But it’s Taco Tuesday, not Burrito Tuesday.” Stan said.

“Well good thing Burrito Tuesday doesn’t exist because that name is fucking awful.” Richie says with a laugh. “A taco is defined as a Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla, typically folded, filled with various mixtures. You can’t tell me a burrito isn’t essentially the same thing, just folded differently.”

A moment passes before all of the Losers erupt in laughter.

“You’re smarter than we give you credit for.” Stan spoke.

“I’ve been saying this for years and it takes me getting a two dollar burrito for you all to realize this?” Richie replied, a mouthful of food.

“Hey! I’ve always been saying you’re smart.” Eddie peeped up defensively.

“Eds always has my back, fuck all of you.”

“Call me Eds again and I’ll stab you in the back.”

“Aw Eds! You wound me!” Richie replies, clutching his chest before going to pinch Eddie’s cheeks. “Cute, cute, cute!” Eddie swatted his hand away but couldn’t hide the small blush creeping up his neck, only being intensified as his other friends shared glances as if they knew something he didn’t. And maybe they did, but Eddie didn’t want to worry about that right now. Richie was his best friend and if anyone else had pinched his cheeks, he’s convinced he would’ve reacted the same way.

Almost as if he knew Eddie wanted the attention off him, Bev changed the subject. “Are we still hanging out tomorrow?” The Losers weren’t sure how much they were going to be able to see each other this year, they had all heard the rumors about how busy the sophomore year of college was going to be, so they all made a promise when picking their classes for the semester. No classes on Wednesdays. Not only did it mean they could see each other every week, it was also a much needed break, even if it meant Richie making hump day jokes each time they hung out.

“Who’s week is it to choose what we do?” Mike questioned.

“I’m pretty sure it’s mine.” Stan replied.

“You’re lying straight through your teeth, you know you chose last week.” Richie practically shouted. Everyone always dreaded whatever event Richie chose, seeing as it normally ended in physical pain or breaking some sort of law. “I promise, this week is gonna be a good one.”

“I’m on the edge of my seat.” Bill deadpanned.

“Let’s just give him a chance! Maybe this time we won’t have to run from any police officers.” Bev speaks up. Richie gives her a sympathetic smile. Bevs had his back, ever since the beginning.

“Yeah! We didn’t think Stans trip to the bird sanctuary was gonna be a night to remember but we all had fun!” Ben chimes in. Richie and Bev exchange a small smile because of course, if Bev defends Richie, then Ben is right there too.

“Okay. Let’s hear it.” Bev speaks, hands drumming on the table.

“Tomorrow, we go to the aquarium!” Richie declares, his chest puffed out proudly.

“And steal a penguin?”

“To bully children?”

“To support the capitalist institution that imprisons sea creatures against their will?”

“No you assholes! To have fun!” Richie shouts. “Can’t you guys just trust me? They have a new touch tank exhibit and there’s supposed to be a dolphin show tomorrow.” That was all it took for his friends to start getting excited and Richie felt himself growing proud of his suggestion. “And with that, I gotta go.”

“Where are you going? It’s not even nine yet and you’re practically nocturnal.” Stan questions.

“I have some homework I gotta finish, don’t wait up!” Richie replies.

“But you’re gonna miss the churros!” Eddie says. The churros were a staple part of their Taco Bus experience, always ordering two sets since they couldn’t seem to get enough of them.

“I don’t need churros when I have someone as sweet as you!” Richie speaks, placing a slobbery kiss on the side of Eddie’s cheek. He notices the energy shift as his friends stare at him. Richie’s easily the most affectionate out of all of them, he always does little things like this, but for some reason, this one felt different. In an attempt to ease whatever tension he might’ve created, he went around and kissed all of his friends on their cheeks, laughing as he turned to see Eddie still attempting to clean off his face. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow!”

Once Richie is out of sight, Ben asks the question they’ve all been thinking. “Since when does Richie do his homework?”

“He wasn’t joking about what he said earlier, he really is smarter than you guys think.” Bev replies. Eventually, the topic of Richie and his intellect dies down a bit, the group getting distracted as the churros are brought out. Once they’re done eating, they all head over to Bev’s Volkswagen Beetle. It’s gotten late and she doesn’t want any of them walking back to their dorms alone. Piling into the small car, Eddie thinks about how lucky Bev is that she has her own apartment. Bev lives by herself, she doesn’t have many female friends and as much as she loves her friends, living with any one of the boys would’ve landed her straight in the mental ward. If Eddie were going to live with any of his friends, he thinks he’d live with Richie. He’s messy, sure, but he also understands Eddie the best and that’s why they get along so well.

Pulling into the parking lot for their dorm, Mike and Eddie said their goodbyes to Bev and hopped out of the car.

“I gotta pick up a book from the library before they close, I’ll be right up.” Mike spoke, already heading in the opposite direction. Eddie makes his way up to their room and as soon as the door swings open, he sees an envelope sitting on the floor.

“What the fuck.” He quietly whispers to himself. The envelope is the same, the handwriting is the same, and written on the front is Eddie’s name. He opens the envelope and is met with another index card

_Violets are blue, daffodils are yellow, Eddie, you make my heart jiggle like Jello._

Daffodils are Eddies favorite flower, their yellow petals always making him feel at ease. He can’t help but find himself wondering if whoever wrote this broke away from the “roses are red, violets are blue” tradition because they knew how much Eddie loved daffodils. If that’s the case, it means this note and the other were most definitely sent to the right person and honestly, Eddies not sure he can handle this information. He makes his way to his bed, explanations running through his mind. There’s still a chance this wasn’t meant for him, there’s no last name and he’s sure that there’s at least one other Eddie on campus who loves daffodils. Falling back onto his bed, he clutches the note to his chest, feeling like the cheesiest girl in the cheesiest teen romance movie and not caring even in the slightest.

His daydreams are interrupted as he hears the lock click, alerting him that Mike is home and giving him just enough time to shove the note under his pillow.

“Why do I feel like I just walked in on something… personal.” Mike questions, noticing the pink in Eddies cheeks.

“Dude, gross! I was just getting into bed.” Eddie replies.

“Well if I was, that’s okay! We all do it, most of us just put a sock on the door to warn anyone.” Mike says with a laugh.

“Can we please stop having this conversation?” Eddie begs, Mike just nodding in agreement as he starts to get into his pajamas. “Have you ever had a secret admirer before?”

“Where’d that come from?” Mike asks. Eddies asked some weird questions sometimes, but never anything like this, despite all of his friends knowing Eddie’s a shameful hopeless romantic.

“Jus’ wondering.” Eddie replies, hoping he seems calmer than he feels.

“Well, I’ve been with Julia for as long as I can remember so if I did ever have a secret admirer, I never paid any attention to them.” Mike says, looking at the framed picture of him and Julia as he speaks. Their love was so painfully sweet, it would’ve given even the most sugar crazed child a toothache. They had met in high school, he was on the football team, and she was a cheerleader; the typical cliche yet somehow, they made it work.

“Right, right. Makes sense. Thanks.” Eddie speaks, tucking himself under the covers. He hears Mike get into bed and soon enough, the routine snoring begins. Eddie looks at the time on his phone, it’s almost two in the morning. Deciding it wouldn’t hurt to read the note one last time before bed, he pulls the index card out from under his pillow and within minutes, he’s fast asleep.

* * *

WEDNESDAY

 **richie**  
get in losers we’re going to the aquarium

 **stan**  
did you just make a mean girls reference

 **richie**  
yes karen lets go

 **bill**  
if anything he’s janis

 **richie**  
ur right. lets go. we have an aquarium to see

 **richie**  
or should i say sea

 **richie**  
haha aquarium puns are funny 

**richie**  
no but really Lets Go.

Within minutes, all of the Losers had made their way over to Bev’s car. None of them were ever this punctual, they just knew the rules. Last two people to make it to the car had to sit on someone’s lap and Ben always played the boyfriend card, leaving the passenger seat to him. Eddie and Bill got there last, only as a result of Stan making sure both of their shoes were untied.

“I’m not fucking sitting on Richie’s lap again.” Eddie says before Bill can even get a word in.

“How about you do it on the way there and I’ll take it on the way back?” Bill replies, attempting to compromise.

“You said that last time you asshole! He’s so bony please don’t make me.”

“I’m not bony! I’m just happy to see you.” Richie replies with a wink, causing both Eddie and Bill to groan.

“Fine. Rock, paper, scissors. Whoever loses has to sit on Richie's lap.” Bill suggests.

“Guys c'mon, it’s only a twenty minute ride, just get in the car!” Ben pleads. Eddie and Bill lock eyes, both of them determined to win.

“Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!” The two say simultaneously. By the groans coming from Eddie and the cheers coming from Bill, it’s pretty clear who won.

“Damn, Eds. Way to make a guy feel special.” Richie says as Eddie settles into his lap.

“How many times do I need to tell you to stop calling me that?” Eddie questions.

“As many times as you try, it’s never gonna happen.” Richie replies as he wraps his arms around Eddies waist, pulling him close. He rationalizes that he’s only doing this since the seatbelt can’t reach across Eddie and of course, Richie is a huge advocate for safety first. Thankfully, Eddie doesn’t seem to mind, in fact, Richie’s almost positive he heard a happy sigh leave his lips. They spend the rest of the car ride like this, Richie’s arms getting a bit tired near the end as one of them falls onto Eddie’s thigh. He feels Eddie jump a bit, but no efforts are made to move Richie’s hand away.

As they pull into the aquarium parking lot, Eddie is the first one out of the car, adjusting his pants in the process, praying Richie doesn’t notice the… situation. As if his prayers had been heard, Richie was far too excited for the day ahead to care about anything else. Grabbing Bev and Stan’s hand, he quite literally drags them behind him as he runs up to the ticket counter.

“Good morning, how may I help you today?” The employee questions. She’s young, her hair pulled into a low ponytail and a gold pair of earrings that make her eyes pop.

“Tickets please seven.” Richie replies, almost immediately covering his face with his hand. “Sorry, I don’t usually get this distracted around pretty girls but you’re just gorgeous. What I meant to say was seven tickets, please.”

The employee laughs, a light blush on her cheeks as she punches some information into the computer and hands him the tickets, a small piece of paper resting on top. As Richie hands out the tickets to his friends, he notices the piece of paper has her name, phone number and the cutest smiley face he’s ever seen written on it.

“Nice one, Richie! Are you gonna call her?” Bill asks, clapping Richie on the shoulder.

“No, he’s just gonna add it to the other numbers he’s been given within the past week because he flirts with fucking everyone.” Eddie speaks up, taking his ticket and walking into the aquarium.

“Did I do something?” Richie questions, tucking the piece of paper into his back pocket.

“You know how he gets sometimes, let’s just try and enjoy today!” Ben says as he leads the rest of the group into the aquarium.

Walking in, Richie is amazed. The aquarium looks even better than it did online, with three floors, two gift shops, a food court and more, Richie genuinely believes he could die happy here.

“Where should we start?” Stan questions.

“I’m gonna start with finding Eddie. We’ll catch up with you guys later.” Richie says, heading off in the opposite direction.

“Are you sure? We can come with you!” Bev shouts but Richie is already too far away to hear her. The remaining five start with the first floor and make their way into the sea turtle exhibit while Richie heads towards the food court. If there’s one thing he knows, it’s Eddie. And if there’s one thing Eddie knows, it’s stress eating. Sure enough, he finds Eddie face down over a plate of fries.

“Save any for me?” Richie questions, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

“Shouldn’t you be enjoying the aquarium?” Eddie retaliates, his voice significantly less harsh than the last time they talked.

“How can I enjoy it without you by my side?” Richie replies.

“If you’re trying to get my number, it’s not gonna work.” Eddie says as a small smile tugs at the corners of his mouth.

Richie stands up. “I'm being serious.” He extends his hand for Eddie to grab. “You’re my best friend and I don’t wanna go through this aquarium without you so throw out those overpriced fries, apologize for being an asshole, and come with me.”

“Hey! Only I can call myself an asshole! But you’re right, I was and I’m sorry. Let’s go.” Eddie replies, grabbing Richies hand. For a split second, he feels as if he’s been shocked and by the look on Richie's face, he knows the feeling is mutual. Their hands linger there for a minute, suspended in the air. Eddie feels an urge to intertwine the fingers and spend the rest of the day walking through the aquarium like this but Richie pulls his hand away and heads toward the escalator without another word.

“Where did the rest of our group go?” Eddie questions.

“Don’t know, don’t care. All I know is I want to see the otters.” Richie replies with a goofy smile on his face. For some reason, otters have always been his favorite animal. The way they float so carelessly in the water, the way they flip without a care in the world. In another life, Richie would’ve been an otter. Within a few minutes, the two of them come face to face with the otter tank. A few of them swim around quickly, diving for food, while another couple just rests on top of the water.

“Oh to be an otter holding a tennis ball between his paws.” Richie speaks, truly mesmerized by the creatures in front of him. “I’m naming that one Eddie.”

“You know they have names already, right?” Eddie asks, trying to supress the warmth spreading throughout his chest.

“Yeah and? Look at him, he’s the cutest out of all of them and he’s getting food for the other otters. He’s definitely an Eddie.” Richie replies as he twiddles with his thumbs in the process, a stereotypical Tozier nervous tick. “Do you mind if we just sit here for a minute? I think the otters are gonna be sad if we leave.”

Eddie simply hums in agreement, smiling as Richie follows the otters flips with his finger up against the glass and laughing when the otter puts his paw up against the barrier, almost as if he’s saying ‘hi’ to Richie. All of a sudden Eddie’s phone started blowing up with messages from the rest of his friends and he noticed at least an hour had gone by since the last time he had seen them.

 **mike**  
eddie where are u

 **mike**  
if ur dead do they make me move out

 **bill**  
MIKE this is serious

 **mike**  
i know :// i dont wanna move out

 **ben**  
richie are u with eddie

 **bev**  
just give us a sign that ur alive

 **eddie**  
we’re alive richie just wanted to look at the otters and we must’ve lost track of time

 **eddie**  
wanna meet in the food court

 **stan**  
will u throw richie in with the otters

 **eddie**  
are u trying to hurt him or make him happy

 **stan**  
the former

 **eddie**  
then no this dude fucking loves otters i think i’m gonna have to physically drag him away

 **eddie**  
we’ll see u guys in ten minutes

 **eddie**  
if this man ever leaves these otters. 

As predicted, Richie refused to leave the otter exhibit, claiming that Otter Eddie and him had formed an inseperable bond. And as promised, the two of them were downstairs in ten minutes, Richie still with a slight pout on his face. The rest of their friends have already saved them a table and ordered their food because that’s how well they know each other. Eddie takes a bite out of his grilled cheese, nodding appreciatively while Richie attempts to fit his entire pizza slice in his mouth.

“You’re fucking disgusting.” Eddie says. He thinks this is what witnessing a car crash must be like. You can’t look away even though you know you shouldn’t look.

“You love it!” Richie attempts to reply, mouthful of food. “I’m gonna go get some more napkins, does anyone need anything?” Only Ben asks for a refill on his soda and the entire table watches as Richie walks away.

They all exchange awkward glances, Eddie oblivious as he continues eating his cheesy goodness. As always, Bill is the first one to speak up.

“So… you and Richie?”

Eddie nearly chokes on his grilled cheese. “What about me and Richie?”

“Nothing. You guys just seemed close today.” Bev jumps in, sensing Eddie’s level of defense rising.

“Yeah, we’re all close. We’re best friends.” Eddie replies, but even as he says it, he feels a pang in his stomach, as if he’s lying to the people in front of him. He pushes it aside. “Just friends.”

An awkward silence falls over the table as Richie makes his way back with the napkins. “Sorry that took so long, I completely forgot what drink Ben asked for so I just got you a little bit of everything.”

The rest of the lunch goes as well as expected, Eddie only slightly distant as he tries not to think about the conversation he had just had. They explore the rest of the aquarium for what feels like forever, Bev taking pictures anytime they do something dumb, which is almost always. A few hours have passed and they had seen the dolphin show, made faces at sea lions and were now mimicking whale calls. To any other aquarium goers, they must’ve looked absolutely ridiculous but to them, the day had felt like the perfect montage in a teen movie.

“I hate to cut this short, but do you guys mind if we head back now?” Richie asks.

“It’s barely four o’clock, are you sure?” Ben questions back.

“Yeah, I was up super early this morning and I’m beat.” Richie replies apologetically. He hopes they aren’t upset with him for making them leave early.

“That’s fine with me! I’ll drive you guys back.” Bev says as the rest of the group nods in agreement.

Surprisingly, Stan makes a comment on the way to the car. “Honestly, Richie, I gotta hand it to you. This was a pretty good call.” And suddenly, Richie feels like he’s on top of the world. After spending almost all of middle school being bullied, little affirmations like this mean everything to him, whether his friends know it or not.

* * *

Walking into the dorm, Eddie feels his chest fall. He had spent today so distracted, he had forgotten to check for an envelope.

“Hey Mike… Did you see anything for me?” Eddie questions tentatively.

“Like what?” Mike replies.

“Never mind.”

Mike pulls an all too familiar envelope out of his desk drawer. “Oh wait! Do you mean this?”

Eddies jaw drops. “Hand it over! Wait. Is it you? What about Julia? I didn’t know you were gay!” he practically screams.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about, I found this on the floor this morning before I left but you were already in the elevator down, I really don’t know how you missed it.” Mike pauses. “What is it?”

“I’m not really sure, let me read this one.”

“This one? Have there been more?” Mike questions but Eddie is far too distracted with the thin paper in his hands.

The index card reads

  
_If you were a fruit, you’d be a fine-apple._

Eddie erupts into laughter. The note itself isn’t funny. It’s cheesy and stupid and he can’t stop fucking laughing. Between the note itself and the fact that he, Eddie Kaspbrak, is the one receiving it, he can’t stop laughing.

“You okay man?” Mike hesitantly asks. Eddie only laughs harder, passing the note to Mike.

“Holy shit dude, did you read the back?” And that gets Eddie to shut up real quick because he had been so busy laughing, he didn’t even notice the arrow in the bottom right corner telling him to flip it over.

_I don’t want you to think this is just a joke. For some reason, puns are just an easy way to pour my feelings out. In case you haven’t been to tell you, Eddie Kaspbrak, have a secret admirer._

Like a light switch went off, Eddie starts freaking out. This was the confirmation he wanted, the confirmation he needed. They told him it wasn’t a joke and they used his last name and while there’s a lot of Eddies at school, there’s only one Eddie Kaspbrak.

Mike reaches out and places a comforting hand on Eddies shoulder. “I’ll ask again, you okay man?”

Before Mike knows what hit him, Eddie starts rambling. “Who the fuck wrote this? Do you think it’s an RA? I walked past a guy in a grey sweater the first day I got one of these and he smiled at me, do you think it’s him? Maybe someone in my class? A lot of people have come over here to study and my names on the door. Do you think —”

“Eddie, get it together!” Mike practically shakes him. “This is a good thing! Someone likes you!” Eddie tried not to let his insecurities run wild at that comment.

Eddie thinks about his response for a moment, still trying to settle his insecurities. He doesn’t understand why anyone would like him. He’s loud, he’s very average looking physically and he gets upset way too easily. “I just wish I knew who it was.”

“It’s obviously someone who knows you well enough to know that you have a soft spot for puns.”

“I do not. Would not. Will never. Could never. Ever. Have a soft spot for puns.”

“Seriously? The only person who likes puns more than Richie is you, and that’s saying something. Only Richie isn’t ashamed of his pun love.” Mike says, arms crossed as if it helps prove his point.

Eddie pulls out his phone, opening up the groupchat.“This is ridiculous.”

 **eddie**  
hey guys random question

 **stan**  
what’s up

 **bev**  
let’s hear it

 **eddie**  
do u guys think i like puns

 **stan**  
is this a question

 **bev**  
yes?

 **ben**  
yes!

 **bill**  
is the sky blue

 **richie**  
no

 **eddie**  
thank u richie! finally!

 **richie**  
i didn’t finish

 **richie**  
u LOVE puns

 **mike**  
HA

 **eddie**  
fuck u guys

* * *

THURSDAY

Eddie wakes up and the first thing he does is brush his teeth. He can never explain why but for some reason, the rhythmic back and forth makes him feel at ease, and that’s exactly what he needs today. There’s one day left until Valentine’s Day and the mere thought makes him anxious. He loved love, and he loved seeing everyone in love, but he never cared about the capitalist holiday until this week.

“Eddie! Special delivery!” Mike shouts from their room, causing Eddie to run out of the bathroom, another envelope waiting for him on the floor.

“Did you see who it was?” Eddie frantically questions.

“Nope, sorry Casanova.” Eddie exasperatedly sighs, bending down to pick up the envelope. The ‘i’ in his name had been dotted with a heart, a little pair of cartoon lungs drawn in the corner. Opening the letter, he can’t help but smile. His secret admirer having a sense of humor makes everything about this just a little bit easier.

_Are you a pulmonary embolism? Because you take my breath away._

“Okay this person definitely knows you. Yeah, most people know you’re on a pre-med track. But how many know you want to be a pulmonologist? How many people in the world want to be a pulmonologist?” Mike speaks up after Eddie read the note aloud.

“Hey! I’ll have you know that pulmonology is a growing field!” Eddie retorts, completely missing Mike’s point. Mike points at the imaginary watch on his wrist, signaling to Eddie that he needs to get a move on if they want to make it to brunch with the Losers on time. It’s funny; starting college, they all assumed they wouldn’t see each other when in reality, they’re probably closer than ever.

Eddie hurried to get ready, throwing on his shoes as he walked out into the hallway. A ten minute walk and two wrong turns later, Eddie and Mike had made their way to the restaurant. “Over Easy”, a new cafe, had opened up and Stan was desperate to try it. They ordered their drinks, made fun of Richie for ordering lunch instead of breakfast, and talked about their plans for the day. As long as they had known each other and as frequently as they saw each other, they never ran out of things to talk about and that’s how Eddie knew these were his forever friends.

The conversation came to a halt once their food was brought out and Eddie took this as an opportunity to gather some intel. “So. Have you guys ever had a secret admirer before?” His voice sounded significantly less casual than he had intended but he locked eyes with Mike in an attempt to stay grounded. While he was watching Mike, Bev was watching Richie who, for the first time in a while, looked panicked. His cheeks grew pink as he tried avoiding eye contact with anyone at the table.

“Ben was my secret admirer, does that count?” Bev says, breaking the tension. “Why? Do you think you have one?”

Putting on his best (worst) British accent and puffing out his chest, Richie speaks up.“Woe is me! Someone is going to take my love away! Thank god I still have Eddie’s mom!”

“Dude. You’re in college and still making those jokes?” Stan says with a huff.

“As long as you guys keep laughing, I’m gonna keep making them. When I’m handsome, rich, famous and handsome in the future, you'll all see.” Richie replies, taking a sip of his drink.

“Well you’re already handsome so I’d say you're halfway there.” If anyone else had made that comment, Richie would’ve been fine. But when he looks up and sees the comment came from Eddie, he can’t help but choke a bit on his drink. Eddie doesn’t know where that surge of confidence but he was sure he had just crossed a line and was desperately thinking of how to uncross it.

Sensing the tension, yet again, Bev jumps in to save them both. “Sure, Richie’s handsome. But have you guys seen Adam? Now THAT’S handsome. I’m thinking of inviting him to my Valentine’s Day party.”

“Bev we’re literally dating.” Ben says, hands up in the air.

Bev can’t help but laugh. Even though they’ve been dating for about a year, Ben still gets nervous sometimes. Bev’s gorgeous and any guy would be lucky to have her. Ben just can’t believe it’s him.

“Not for me, for them.” Bev replies, gesturing to the rest of the boys. “I want to make sure my boys have options to score a Valentine!”

“Wait what the fuck? You’re having a Valentines party?” Bill questions. “Isn’t that like, the stupidest holiday?”

“It might be, but because you’re my friends, you’ll be there or suffer the consequences. Just like you’ll be me at St. Patrick's Day, Arbor Day and National Pancake Day parties.” Bev speaks, taking a bite of her blueberry pancake just to prove a point. “So who’s gonna help me set up for the party?”

Naturally, Richie was the first one to volunteer, any chance for him to spend more time with Bev was a chance he would take.

* * *

After stopping by the local Walmart, Bev had everything she needed to throw her party. Streamers, balloons, cookies and stolen liquor filled her bags as she and Richie walked into her apartment. Richie starts hanging streamers from the lights in her living room, a mix of reds and pinks falling perfectly.

“Thanks for helping me set up, I knew I could count on you.” Bev says, pulling Richie in for a hug.

“Of course my horse! What are friends for?” Richie replies as he makes his way over to the balloons, preparing his lungs for the labor they’re about to go through.

“So, are you asking anyone to be your Valentine?” Bev asks nonchalantly. Richie practically chokes on the balloon.

“C’mon Bev, it’s college. Valentines are so overrated.”

“Eddie doesn’t seem to think they’re overrated. He seemed kinda excited about his secret admirer.” Bev knows exactly what she’s doing and it’s working.

“Yeah well, Eddie gets excited about a lot of things. Have you seen the way he gets when you mention daffodils? That fucker loves those flowers.”

“You sure know a lot about him, you guys have always been closer than the rest of us.” Bev replies aimlessly, tossing some food into the fridge.

“What’re you doing? I feel like you’re trying to coax something out of me, just be upfront with me.”

“Are you Eddie’s secret admirer?” Bev asks directly. Richie did say be upfront, he just wasn’t expecting it to actually happen.

“No? Why would you ask that?” Richie questions defensively.

Bev puts down the groceries and walks over to him, placing both hands on his shoulders. The look of reassurance is clear in her eyes and her voice.“Richie, there’s nothing wrong with it if it is you. In fact, it’s kinda cute. I have a feeling that whatever you may or may not be feeling has been there for a while and you need to remember we’re not in Derry anymore. No one’s gonna hurt you for loving who you want to love or for being yourself. Hypothetically, if you are the one who’s been writing him these notes, I think you should say something tomorrow. I’m not sure what your plan was but you’re too smart to have walked into something like this not having a plan. If anything goes wrong, you’ll know I’ll be here for you. But when everything goes right, we’ll all be here to celebrate.”

By now Richie has a few tears streaming down his cheeks and Bev is smiling at him like the world's proudest sister.

“I’m not saying it’s me, but I’m not gonna say it’s not me either. But regardless, thank you. I love you.” Richie speaks, his voice low.

“I love you too! Now go, I can finish this up on my own and I’ll see you tomorrow.” The two exchange a hug before Richie leaves, walking wherever his mind takes him before he decides it’s time for bed. Somehow or another, he ends up in front of Eddie’s dorm and takes a step back when he sees a note on the door.

_To whom it may concern (if you’re reading this, you know what this is about). If you’re up for it, sign your name on the next one (is it cocky of me to assume there’s gonna be another?) I’d love to get to know you._

* * *

FRIDAY

Normally, Eddie loved waking up on Friday mornings. He loved that he only had one class, he loved having a chance to celebrate all of his hard work during the week and he loved that Friday was just one day closer to the weekend. But today, Eddie finds himself up before his alarm, his eyes glued to the crack under his door as he silently hopes for a note to be slid through.

The hours go by and no note has arrived. Eddie lies in bed, wondering if his note last night scared them off. He knows it was a bold choice and clearly, it had backfired. Soon enough, his alarm goes off, breaking him out of his insecurity spiral and as he gets ready for class, he finds himself wishing he was back in bed.

Prior to today, Eddie had always been under the impression that he was good at hiding the way he felt but he’s halfway through his class and three people, including the professor, have asked him if he’s okay. He says he’s fine, anxious to get the attention off of him but the question makes him think. No, he’s not fine. Here he was, starting to develop a fucking crush on someone he doesn’t even fucking know. Doesn’t know what they look like, doesn’t know their real personality, doesn’t know anything about them besides the fact that they love to make disgustingly adorable jokes and despite all of this, Eddie can’t stop thinking about them. It’s gotten to the point that he’s even crafted an image of who he wishes the admirer was. Taller than him, probably has glasses, and brown eyes because shit, is Eddie a sucker for the way brown eyes look in the sun. He chooses to ignore the fact that his dream secret admirer looks a whole lot like Richie, blaming it on the fact that he’s just the person Eddie sees the most.

Soon enough, class was dismissed and Eddie found himself feeling worse on the way back to his dorm. A small part of him was still anticipating a note, but a bigger part of him was telling him to drop it, that this was a fluke. If anyone were to have something so close to being good and fuck it up, it was him. He knew he had sealed his fate when he opened his door and found nothing on the floor.

Mike walked in shortly after him. “Hey! Has Romeo dropped off your note yet?”

“Nope, don’t think I’m getting one today.”

“But it’s Valentines day! I thought they were sending these letters to prepare for today?” Mike questioned, his voice soft.

“Yeah. I thought so too. You win some you lose some I guess.” Eddie replied with a shrug, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.  
Reaching into his backpack, Mike pulled out a small red bag. “Well, I got this for you anyway! Thanks for being a great roommate and an even better friend. I love you bear-y much.” Inside the bag was a small stuffed bear holding an even smaller plush heart in between it’s two paws. As Eddie dug deeper, he noticed an assortment of chocolates and candies and immediately pulled Mike into a hug.

“Who knew you were such a softie?” Eddie questioned as he placed his new teddy bear on his bed. He didn’t even care that he was a college kid with a stuffed animal, the gesture was just too fucking thoughtful.

“You and Julia are the only two who see this side of me. Tell anyone and you’ll never see the bear again.” Mike replied, eyes narrow in an attempt to be menacing. Trying to imagine Mike as intimidating is like hating stuffed animals, it’s impossible.

“Thanks Mike, I really do love it.” Eddie spoke as he started to unwrap a chocolate. “I’m gonna take a nap before we head to Bev’s.”

As thankful as he was for Mike, there was a small part of him that was still hoping for a note but in the meantime, he decided it was best to close his eyes and think of a name for his new stuffed animal in the process.

* * *

Before he had even walked into Bev’s that night, Eddie was already dreading it. There were going to be three groups of people there: those who were single and drunk, trying to find someone to hook up with, those who were in a relationship and drunk, trying to find a place to hook up, and then him. It’s not that Eddie didn’t know how to have fun but if he’s being with himself, he knows that if he gets drunk tonight, it’s just going to end with him being sadder than he already is.

Mike, Julia and Eddie make their way to Bev’s door and by the sound of the music inside, Julia decides to let them all in, pretty sure that Bev wouldn’t have been able to hear their knock anyway.

Eddie takes a look around the apartment. Parties are most definitely not his scene and he already feels out of place. He locks eyes with Bev who has a red solo cup in one hand and an empty shot glass in the other.

“I’m so glad you guys made it!” Bev shouts from across the room, raising her arms and spilling some of her drink in the process. “Don’t worry guys! I know the person who lives here, she’ll clean it up.”

Bev walks over to the three of them, attempting to pull them all in for a hug at once, and begins to make their drinks.

“None for me tonight, thanks though.” Eddie says before she has a chance to make his. “Have you seen Richie?”

Eddie feels a slight tap on his shoulder and hears a voice whisper in his ear, causing him to jump. “Ask and you shall receive!”

“Were you just standing there waiting until one of us asked for you?” Mike asks, doubled over in laughter.

“Maybe. So what if I was? It worked, didn’t it?” Richie replied proudly. “Anyway, why were you looking for me?”

Eddie feels his face go white. “Oh. I was just wondering how your Valentine's Day had been going. And since you helped set up the party, I was wondering if you could show me where the snacks are.” If he’s being honest with himself, he’s not really sure why he wanted to find Richie.

“Of course of course! This way my good sir!” Richie leads him over to the snack bowl, leaving Julia and Mike with Bev.

Richie starts shoveling popcorn into his mouth, Eddie completely and utterly disgusted yet somehow unable to look away. Richie is wearing a light grey sweater adorned with small red and pink hearts. If anyone else were to wear it, Eddie would be genuinely concerned that they were color blind but for some reason, Richie looks kinda cute in it.

“Thanks, Eds! You don’t look too bad yourself.” Richie says with a wink, now shoving chips into his mouth.

“I’m sorry what?” Eddie replies, hoping he didn’t do exactly what he thinks he did.

“You said I looked cute. I said thank you and then I said you look cute too. I feel like this was a kinda easy conversation to follow.” Richie responds and Eddie feels like he wants to bury himself into the couch and avoid eye contact with Richie for the next twenty seven years.  
Reaching into his back pocket, Richie fishes something out and hands it to Eddie, they’re fingers brushing in the process. “Oh shit! I meant to tell you, someone told me to give this to you.”

Eddie looks down and sees the all too familiar envelope with his name written on it and all of a sudden, he’s like a kid in a candy store. “Do you remember who gave it to you? Was it a guy or a girl? Were they cute? Does it matter if they were cute did they seem nice? How long ago did they give this to you? Did you see where they went after? Why didn’t you give me this twenty minutes ago?”

“This seems like it might be personal, I’ll let you read it but I’ll catch you around.” Richie says with a small smile and before Eddie can say another word, Richies walking into the next room.

Richie was right. This might be personal. He puts the note into his pocket and makes his way to the bathroom, not caring about the fact that he’s kicking a couple out in the process. Eddie sits on the counter and examines the note, loving the way his heart speeds up when he notices the cupid arrows and hearts drawn around his name. This is it. This is what he had been waiting for. He hopes more than anything that he at least gets a name. Eddie rips open the envelope, his hands a bit shaky as he does so. He reads the letter once. Twice. One more time for good luck as he desperately tries to understand the words on the page. He’s interrupted by a knock at the door and a random voice yelling at him.

“Hey! Would you hurry it up in there? You got a whole line waiting!”

Eddie runs out of the bathroom, the note folded up back in his pocket, and goes to say his goodbyes to his friends.

“Wait you’re leaving already?” Bev questions.

“There’s something I gotta take care of real quick but thank you! I promise I’ll be here for your next one too!” Eddie replies, pulling her in for a hug.

Like any good party host, Bev walks Eddie to the door, giving him a quick pat on the back before he heads out. “Go get him kiddo.” she whispers loud enough for only the two of them to hear.

 **eddie**  
hey can u swing by my dorm real quick

 **richie**  
seriously

 **eddie**  
yeah u left something at the party bev wanted me to bring it back to u

 **richie**  
uh sure ill see u in a bit

Eddie makes it to his dorm a few minutes before Richie does and despite Eddie anticipating the arrival, the knock still makes him jump. He quickly splashes some water on his face in an attempt to calm himself down and gets the door.

A few beats of silence pass before Richie speaks up first.

“Hey.”

“Hi.” Eddie walks over to his desk, grabbing a small collection of already opened envelopes. “I’m pretty sure these are yours.”

Richie feels his palms start to sweat. “I don’t remember bringing those to the party.”

“Did you mean what you wrote in the last one?” Eddie questions, trying not to sound desperate.

“What do you mean?” Richie replies.

“The last note. The last love letter. The last whatever the fuck these have been.” Eddie says, gesturing to the notes in an attempt to add emphasis.

“What makes you think I wrote them?”

Eddie can’t help but laugh. “You called me Eds, you said I was otter-ly adorable and you signed your name at the end. I don’t know why you’re playing dumb.”

Richie has no clue how Eddie is handling this so well. All Richie wants to do is be anywhere but here, where he knows he’s about to be told he colossally fucked up.

“I’m not playing dumb,” he finally starts to respond, “I’m playing avoiding-the-situation-because-I-fucked-up.”

Eddie surprises both of them when he takes Richies hand, his thumb making small circles on the top of Richies hand. “No, you didn’t fuck up.”  
Richie waits for the “but”. He waits for the goodbye, for the end of their friendship.

“Say it.” Eddie says. His eyes may look serious but Richie can tell he’s nervous too.

“Say what?” Richie questions.

“I need to hear you say it! I need to know that you’re being serious.”

“I’m a vampire?” Richie replies, earning him a smack on the shoulder.

“Richie!” Eddie scolds.

Richie finally cracked. “I don’t do well with these things in person! Why do you think I wrote you all these letters? Just for shits and giggles? I told you on Wednesday I was being serious, it’s just easier to not have to look at you while I do it. Is that what you wanted me to say?”

“No, but it’s close enough.” Eddie replies, dropping Richies hand in the process. He cups Richies cheeks and pulls him down in an attempt to make them the same height. Their foreheads touch, the two of them close enough to be sharing a breath. Fuck it Eddie thinks to himself. If Richie can be brave enough to write these notes, Eddie be brave enough to do what he’s been wanting to do for years.

Eddie makes the move first, their lips connecting gently at first, both of them unsure as to how to proceed. Richie makes an attempt to deepen the kiss but much to his dismay, Eddie stops him.

“Is this okay?” Eddie questions. Actions speak louder than words and he needs to know this isn’t going to ruin things, needs to know that they’re both thinking the same thing.

“I meant what I said. Or what I wrote. I love you.” Richie replies.

“Now you said it. Next time, lead with that. Not some Twilight reference.”

“C'mon babe, don’t diss the cultural reset of the 2000’s.”

Eddie tries not to let on how much he loved the casual use of ‘babe’. “You’re absolutely ridiculous.” He pulls Richie back in for another kiss, picking up where they left off.

This kiss feels different than any other kiss Eddie’s ever had before. When he first came out, he had kissed his first boy that following weekend, all of his friends taking him out of Derry to a club to celebrate his coming out. Eddie thought that was as good as it gets. Never did he think he would be kissing his childhood best friend, hoping he never had to kiss anyone else ever again. Their lips moved perfectly in sync, as if they were made for each other. Richie wrapped his arms around Eddie’s lower back, pulling him closer so that they were chest to chest. Richie’s lips tasted like his signature mango chapstick and Eddie couldn’t get enough. Surprising both of them, Eddie felt himself moan into the kiss.

“Do that again.” Richie demanded, breaking apart from the kiss.

“I can’t just do that shit on command you know?” Eddie replied with a chuckle. Richies hands moved down Eddies waist and settled on his ass, cupping it once he got there and eliciting another moan from the smaller boy.

“You sure about that?” Richie retaliated with a smirk. Two can play at this game Eddie thought, as he started grinding into Richie’s front. Almost immediately, Richie felt a strain in his pants and based on how desperately Eddie was moving his hips, he knew they wanted the same thing. All too soon, Richie pulled away.

“Holy shit, Eds. We should talk about this.” Richie questioned, short of breath and taking a seat on Eddies bed.

Eddie immediately paled, wondering if he had read the whole situation wrong. “Do you not want this?”

“No it’s not that at all. I just- I don’t want this to be a hookup or something I-”

Eddie cuts him off .“I love you too, Richie. Ever since we were kids.”

“When did you know?” Richie questions, peppering Eddie’s face with kisses in the process.

“Do you really wanna do this right now?” Eddie replies.

Richie pulls away, gathering his belongings before walking towards Eddie door.“Fine you’re right, we can stop.”

“Richie!” Eddie shouts exasperatedly “Fine. Do you remember the time you fell off the swings in first grade? You brought me a cupcake after I fixed up your knee and to elementary school me, it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done. I knew I loved you when you let me take the hammock back in middle school. We both knew it was your turn but you let me have it anyway.”

“I’ve had you whipped since middle school and it took us this long to get together?” Richie questions.

“Do you ever stop talking?” Eddie asks ironically. He knows the answer is no and if he’s being honest, he wouldn’t have it any other way. “What about you? When did you know?”

“You read my letter! Don’t make me say it again!”

Eddie stares at Richie, as if daring him to keep that as his final answer.

“Look, I don’t really know when I knew. You told me you liked my sweater in middle school and I never wanted to take it off but even before then, I think I always knew.” Richie replies shyly.

Without missing a beat, Eddie pulls him in for another kiss, this one much more tender and gentle than the last. Eddie’s hands make their way up the nape of Richie’s neck, tugging gently on his hair, causing Richie to whine. He wanted to stay like this forever, figuring out everything Richie liked and making up for lost time, but first Eddie had an important question to ask.

“Richie Tozier, will you do me the honor of being my boyfriend?” Eddie asks hopefully.

“I spend all week writing you these notes and you take away my moment?” Richie replies with a hand over his heart.

“Is that a no?” Eddie questions.

“Fuck no. It’s a yes. It’s a big fat fucking yes.” Richie says, pulling Eddie in for a kiss on the forehead. “Will you come lay with me?”

Eddie hopped over to his bed, never so excited to get under the covers before. Richie wrapped one arm around him, the other hand running his fingers through Eddies hair. After a few minutes, Richie was sure Eddie had fallen asleep.

“Hey Eds?” Richie whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Happy Valentine’s Day.” Richie replied.

Eddie felt his heart swell. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Richie.” If this was how life was going to be from now on then shit, he could get used to this.

* * *

_Dear Eds,_  
_It’s a me a Mario! Sorry, that was dumb, and if I’m being honest with you, I was starting to think these loves letters were a bit dumb too. I started this on a whim, kinda just hoping to make you smile because holy shit do I love your smile and before I knew it I was in too deep. It’s kinda like when I first realized I liked you. One day I was fine, trying to figure out which girl I wanted to go on the swings with me and the next day, I’m head over heels for this boy I barely know (the guy was you by the way, don’t worry). I don’t know where I’d be without you in my life and I hope this last note doesn’t take you out of it. If you read this and don’t feel the same, we never ever have to talk about this again. I’ll swallow my feelings if it kills me because at the end of the day, you’re my best friend first. But you’re brave, and you make me want to be brave and I think that’s part of why I love you so much. You’re also otter-ly adorable, so there’s that (I hope you weren’t expecting this letter to be pun free). Anyway, I hope you’re not disappointed when you find out who this is, I know I can be a lot to handle sometimes but you’ve always been by my side and I love you for that too. So yeah, happy Valentine’s Day._

_I love you (in case I didn’t already make it clear),_  
_Richie_

**Author's Note:**

> ah thank y'all so much for reading!! i haven't written in a while and i've never written a fic this long before so any comments and kudos are appreciated!! no matter what u do don't imagine eddie adopting an otter in richies name for their next valentines day


End file.
